Entry 8 (Puppets Presentation and Workshop)

"Being different is a universal condition."- KOTB
Puppets
Kids on the Block puppets are used to teach children about differences.  These puppets started in 1977.  The first puppet was Mark Riley, a boy in a wheelchair.  Each puppet costs between $900 - $1000.  As beginner puppeteer, it takes 2-3 people to manage one of these puppets, but as you become a better puppeteer, you can manage one of these puppets on your own.

4 Specialty Needs for Puppeting by the Puppeteer:
1.  Lip Synchronization:  Move hand like a cobra snapping it's mouth
2.  Eye Focus:  Move the eyes of the puppet by moving your fingers
3.  Posture:  Keep body of puppet upright like a human being.
4.  Gestures:  "Icing on the cake".  Hardest thing for a puppeteer to accomplish.
Types of Puppets:
sock
animal
hand
marionette
magazine cutouts
hand painting
finger
paper bag
ventriloquest
shadow
Uses for a Puppet Show:
Get kids to open up
Education
Strength building, hand motor skills
Sex education with teens
Muscle tone
Social skills
Coping from abuse
Drug prevention
Bring smiles to patients in the geriatric population
Self-expression
Medical play
Building speech skills
Class Take Away:
the different types of puppets available
ways to answer questions using puppets
how many different themes that can be discussed using puppets
a comfortable tool for many different populations
observation of a kid playing with a puppet (play therapy)
story telling